The use of radio frequency identification (“RFID”) technology is increasingly being utilized to identify, track and locate goods or assets being shipped or transported. Various industries are coming to understand the benefits of RFID technology and as such are devoting more resources to this new technology. As a result, RFID technology is well known in the art. For example, RFID technology is now being used in various forms in the airline, food and drug industries to identify, track and locate an industry's particular goods or assets.
In addition to identifying, tracking and locating goods or assets, various industries are also attempting to employ prophylactic measures that prevent tampering of, theft of and terrorist activities directed to their assets or goods. The food and beverage industries in particular share such concerns. As an example, there is the potential for a bioterrorist or poisonous attack on food and beverages shipped or transported from manufacturers to packagers, wholesalers, distributors or retailers. To further illustrate the danger of such an attack, one may consider a typical manufacture, shipment and packaging of a dry food. Once a dry food is manufactured it may be shipped or transported in bulk to the manufacturer's packaging plant. The dry food is typically transported by a truck towing a trailer. The trailer may have openings at its top and bottom. Initially, the dry food is loaded through the openings at the top of the truck's trailer. The openings may take the form of a hatch or round opening with a cover. The truck will then transport the dry food to, for example, the packaging plant where the bottom openings of the truck's trailer are opened allowing the dry food to pour out into receptacles located beneath the truck and in the packaging plant. The drivers of the trucks transporting the dry food frequently make stops to eat, sleep and refuel the trucks. During such stops, trailers attached to the truck are particularly vulnerable to theft and tampering of the goods contained in the trailers. Individuals may gain access to the contents of the trailers via the openings on the top or bottom of the trailer. Locks may be used to secure the openings of the trailer, but such locks do not convey any information regarding the identification or location of a particular good or asset. Additionally, for the most part, locks fail to convey information that an individual attempted to tamper with a trailer's opening.
Accordingly, there is a need for a lock or fastener that prevents tampering of goods and assets and in addition, conveys information as to the identification and location of a good or asset contained and shipped via transportable containers. There is a also a need for a lock or fastener that indicates whether there has been an attempt to tamper with goods or assets contained and shipped via transportable containers. Finally, there is a need for a low cost, effective and disposable lock or fastener that prevents tampering of goods and assets while also providing information as to the identification and location of the good or asset contained and shipped via transportable containers.
Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.
The drawings, including FIGS. 1, 1a, 2 and 2a constitute a part of this specification, include exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and illustrate various objects and features thereof.